Takeover nears completion as Reading prepare to host Fulham
Article by Christian FrankFollow e-Reading on Twitter!
The takeover saga which will see a consortium of Thais purchase 90% of Reading football club, wiping out the reported £20 million club debts and end Sir John Madejski’s tenure as chairman, seems to be even closer to completion. Every recent report may have said the same thing on that front, but with Sir John saying earlier this week that the deal is nearly done we have to hope that financial stability will once again return to the Madejski stadium.
After the Zingarevich debacle it would be understandable if an air of cynicism met the incoming foreign ownership, who are taking so long to complete the deal formally having injected funds to bolster the Royals’ squad (a familiar story when we think back to Zingarevich’s funding of Jason Roberts’ arrival), but actually optimism seems to be abound in Berkshire with fans eager to exit this state of boardroom limbo and enter into what promises to be a bright new future for Reading FC. It would be fascinating to know if Nigel Adkins feels a sense of de ja vu at the possible structure of the club, with a batch of youth prospects he cannot ignore emerging and the club boosted by funds from a charming benevolent former owner. Even though the hero of Southampton, Marcus Liebherr, died before Adkins took the reins at the coastal club, the similarities between the financial position of the club as they languished in League One and the state of Reading (should the deal be completed and the Thais deliver) are clear to see.
Turning our attention to a team who have suffered from the disastrous influence of a takeover by an affluent oversees investor, Fulham are coming to the Madejski Stadium on Saturday. For me the antics of Harry Redknapp will always come to mind when we face Fulham; the London club secured survival in the Premier League on the final day of the 2007-08 season at Reading’s expense with a win over Redknapp’s Portsmouth, with Portsmouth resting several players ahead of their upcoming FA Cup final. I always think of that bittersweet day, when a 4-0 away win against the worst team in Premier League history was not enough to seal Reading’s survival, rather than the 0-2 loss against the Cottagers earlier in the season.
Since then Fulham have played the Royals twice, earning a point at the Madejski Stadium as Hal Robson-Kanu’s 90th minute equaliser stole Reading a 3-3 draw, and losing 2-4 at home to the already relegated Berkshire club.
The Cottagers face the Royals as a team who has, since that 2-4 loss, sacked 2 managers, changed ownership, suffered relegation, and seen 40 players depart the club. Despite having an impressive managerial record from Germany, strict disciplinarian Felix Magath has not been impressive in his time in southwest London, is not a popular figure at Craven Cottage, and pressure is growing on the 61-year-old German. With Fulham languishing near the bottom of the Championship table, a defeat against Reading could be enough to push the eccentric Shahid Khan to start putting plans in place to replace Magath.
Predicting a line-up for either of these teams has been hard so far this season, with Reading struggling with an injury crisis which had 11 senior players unavailable for their last game, and Fulham suffering from what Whites fans have dubbed ‘Felix Bingo’ as Magath struggles to decide on a regular starting XI.
Reading have new loan signing Glenn Murray available, but fellow striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is struggling to be fit to face his former club, whose fans booed him last time Reading met Fulham. Danny Guthrie is also pushing to find fitness and feature in the 18-man squad in some capacity. The injury list is still long in Berkshire, and Anton Ferdinand has been added to it with a hamstring strain, joining long-term casualties Karacan, McCleary, Robson-Kanu and Williams. The squad seems unlikely to be changed from the 1-0 away win at Middlesbrough, except with Murray into the line-up.
Predicted Royals XI:
Federici, Gunter, Pearce, Hector, Obita, Kuhl, Norwood, Mackie, Cox, Taylor, Murray.
Fulham seem set to hand debuts to new signings this week, with tracksuit-wearing, former Crystal Palace goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly and giant targetman Matt Smith (a deadline day signing from Leeds) both ready for the starting XI. Smith will be looking to rekindle the partnership he established with Ross McCormack under the tutelage of Brian McDermott last season at Leeds.
Having picked up their solitary point of the season last time out in a 1-1 draw with Cardiff City, the 4-4-2 formation is likely to be seen again, and the back four is likely to remain unchanged, with youngster Dan Burn an imposing figure at the heart of defence who Fulham fans have high hopes for. Other youngsters to watch out for are high-rated American Emerson Hyndman, who has just made his full US debut aged 18, and German Thomas Eisfeld, who was involved for Arsenal when they defeated Reading 7-5 in the Capital One Cup two seasons ago.
Predicted Fulham XI:
Kiraly, Voser, Burn, Bodurov, Stafylidis, Parker, Hyndman, David, Hoogland, Smith, McCormack.
The contest could be tighter than the form would suggest; Reading and Fulham both come into the match with a squad which should have reaped the benefits of the international break. Home advantage could prove to make the difference, and Reading would appear to have the edge based on a glance at the table, but Fulham have a quality squad, and the Smith-McCormack partnership is something to be feared.
Just as important as keeping an eye on the scoreline, however, is keeping an eye on the director’s box. Whether or not the Thais are present and enjoying the football is vital as we near the conclusion of the takeover.
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